I just love this NYT county-by-county map of the presidential results.
One thing caught my eye. In Knox County, Tennessee, Obama got hornswaggled, 61 to 38%. So what? Well, Knox county is home to Knoxville, which is a) a city, more or less and b) home to the University of Tennessee. Aren't Democrats supposed to win college towns, even down south?
It depends. Obama took Albemarle in Virginia (UVa), 59-40. He finished in the 70s in Durham and Orange counties, which Chapel Hill straddles (UNC). He won Clark County, Georgia (UGa) with 65%. He took Alachua County Florida (UF) with 60%. That's how it's supposed to be.
Some campuses didn't get the memo. Tuscaloosa County (U of Alabama), 58-42 McCain. Lafayette County Mississippi (Ole Miss), 56-43 McCain. Washington County, Arkansas, home of Fayetteville and the state U, 56-42.
Obama won the university town in Montana. Lost it in Wyoming. He won it big in Kansas and Missouri, but lost it big in Oklahoma. He won it narrowly in Kentucky, and, as I crowed on November 5, narrowly won the university county of Monongalia in West Virginia.
I don't understand why, say, Knox County should be so much more Republican than Fayette County, Kentucky. Lexington is a somewhat larger city than Knoxville; maybe that explains it, I don't know. And why is Athens, Georgia so much more liberal than Tuscaloosa, Alabama? Because the B-52's and REM are from there, I suppose. It's odd. Anyway, I've had hours of fun with this map. Check it out if you haven't.
